Canadiens Notebook: Maybe a little California sunshine will help

SAN JOSE — It was a gorgeous day Monday in San Jose, with the temperature hitting 29C under bright sunshine.

“It’s never a bad thing to come out here,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said after a morning practice at the SAP Center. “I think the guys enjoy you know … it’s a change of pace and everything else. But it’s only good if you get positive results and that’s what we need to get here, some positive results on this road trip. We’re close, but we’re not good enough yet.”

The Canadiens bring a 1-3-1 record into Tuesday’s game against the Sharks in San Jose (10:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690), a place where they haven’t won a game since 1999, going 0-8-2 since then.

“I think our guys are focused on what needs to be done internally, inside the dressing room, and what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Julien said. “I think so far they’ve done a pretty good job of that. There’s no doubt when you got some guys that are goal-scorers that haven’t scored yet … it’s a normal thing that they might be squeezing the stick a little bit. But that’s what they got to overcome and that’s what we got to try and do and improve our game as we go along here.”

Lack of goals

The Canadiens are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night at the Bell Centre and have scored only seven goals in their first five games — two of them short-handed.

Alex Galchenyuk scored his first goal of the season against the Leafs and it was also the Canadiens’ first power-play goal. The Canadiens rank 28th in the NHL on the power play with a 6.3 per cent success rate. They rank dead-last in the now 31-team league in scoring with an average of 1.40 goals per game. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who are off to a 4-1-0 start, rank 16th in scoring with an average of 3.0 goals per game.

Julien was asked after practice if there’s a way a coach can teach finish when it comes to goal-scoring.

“I think they know how to finish,” he said. “I think when it comes to finish it’s a matter of confidence. Max Pacioretty doesn’t score 30-plus goals every year because he has no finish. So I don’t need to show him because he’s got no goals (in his last four games) how to finish. It’s just a matter of confidence, I think. When things start going well, pucks usually go in. So the confidence part is a big part of the game and right now guys squeeze their sticks and they’re trying to bury it. Sometimes frustration takes over.”

Reason for concern?

Julien was asked what’s his biggest concern about his team after five games and only one victory.

“I don’t look at my biggest concern because that’s not how I think,” the coach said. “I think about what we want to get better at and not what’s concerning me.

“Our compete level is there,” he added. “We finally scored more than one goal last game, so there’s some things going in the right direction. But right now it’s just a situation where every little mistake you make sometimes ends up costing you, whether it’s on faceoffs or different areas. But we’re just continuing to focus on getting better all the time. There’s circumstances that dictate that we need some time to jell together and everything else. We’re just going to plug away until that solution comes and it’s hopefully on this road trip.”

Practice makes perfect?

The Canadiens had a fast-paced practice Monday and worked a lot on neutral-zone play.

“There’s always a theme for the practice,” said Brendan Gallagher, who decided to shave his head in the hope it will change the Canadiens’ luck in San Jose. “Today if you watched it was a lot of neutral-zone stuff, trying to move the puck quick, support each other. It’s a big part of the game nowadays is transitioning quick and then getting into the offence as quickly as possible. We just tried to touch on it a little bit today and hopefully it will pay off.”

Mete still around

Rookie defenceman Victor Mete was still paired with Shea Weber on the No. 1 pair at practice and will play his sixth NHL game Tuesday night. After nine games the Canadiens will need to make a decision on whether to keep the 19-year-old or return him to the junior London Knights.

When asked after practice if he’s heard anything about whether he will be staying in the NHL, Mete said: “Nothing … still don’t know. Still day by day. I’m a little bit anxious, but just try to take it day by day and not think about it until I guess next week if I play every game.”

The trip to San Jose is a first for Mete.

“I’ve been to Los Angeles before, but I’ve never been to San Jose,” he said. “It’s pretty cool. Obviously, the weather is nice, so it’s good to be here.”

Big brother Shea

Weber has filled a bit of a big brother role with Mete on the blue line. It’s something Julien saw at the start of last season when he was coaching the Boston Bruins.

“I had the same thing happen last year with (Zdeno) Chara and (Brandon) Carlo,” Julien said. “Zdeno just kind of took him under his wing at times and made him feel comfortable and made sure that the game was easy for him. And I think Shea’s doing the same thing right now with Mets.”

Carlo will turn 21 on Nov. 26.

“I’m sure (Weber’s) got a big impact because he calms things down,” Julien said about the partnership with Mete. “I’m sure that Victor feels pretty safe and comfortable with him and he’s such a good veteran.”

What’s next?

After Tuesday’s game, the Canadiens will head to Los Angeles, where they will play the Kings Wednesday night (10:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690). The Canadiens will wrap up their three-game road trip Friday night against the Ducks in Anaheim (10 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

No but logically IMO:
1) if they sign JT long term they can’t keep Max long term
2) if they want to still keep Max short term they don’t have other talent good enough for the Isles. For example Toronto can give them Marner.

I’d like to remind Max, who is struggling right now, that he was picked with the San Jose draft pick the Habs traded for. Basically, he could have been a Shark.

Now, if years of being a Habs fan has taught me anything it is that the even loosest tie to the Habs or Quebec means you will score a few goals. Heck, 1/2 of Pageau’s career goals are against the Habs… ANYWAYS… Max’s most tenuous relationship with the Sharks should mean he’s good for at least a goal. Right?

Uh… YES! Yes, that should definitely be the case! Max will certainly be a man on a mission tonight, eager to show the organization that *might* have drafted him, had they held on to the #22 pick that year, what a colossal mistake they made.

If I’m Max I’m putting a Starbucks gift card ($20 value) on the table for the guy who scores the winning goal.

True, but I think 8-9 could get it done with the right club, smart teams like CHI know how to keep the parts moving to create space. I’m also not discounting the Isles resigning, they have a solid core.

I think the Toronto Media have finally beaten some of you over the head too many times. Please consult your nearest Liquor Snurf (RIP) and have a refreshing beverage. Take a stroll outside (it’s sunny where I am.) Enjoy the fall colours. Raise your arms and welcome the majesty of the heavens into your outlook. There are two things you’ll remember quickly: One, it’s a big world, and two, the Leafs always lose in the end.

Well then the Leafs indeed are the greatest franchise in world sports history. There is no room in this world for two franchises that great, how can you blame MB when you are comparing his work to that of Aristotle.

You need a plan, and beyond building your team around an expensive goalie, which in itself is flawed in this cap world, MB has been all over the place. While we were perennially looking for scoring help, we can now add, help on the backend. Max and JD are not lighting the world on fire, and our top pick is relegated to the 4th line, as CJ is still in message mode, this season can be close to a write off, if we don’t turn it around over the next 2 weeks.

While I understand that the salivating is perhaps slightly more justified in this era with Matthews, Marner et al lighting it up for the Loafs, I also can’t help but wonder what it could possibly take to help their frothing fanbase and homer media remember the umpteen “Stanley Cup: October Editions” they’ve won in the past decade… only to go on to miss the (actual) playoffs?

It’s not happening….me talking about one…not until Jan.2nd…ok maybe Jan 5th when I am back from holidays.

NYI ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP HIM. Sorry guys but money talks. $10.5M for 8 yrs and a promise to not rebuild but add to the core. No one walks away from that. There has not been 1 single top player leave their team in what 10 plus years? I can’t recall one who walked at UFA.

So there is no trade for Tavares worth our time to discuss….until after Jan. If he isn’t signed the first week of Jan then maybe I may start to think about it.

And if it was Jan I would suggest….
PAtches, Juulsen, 1st for Tavares…..give everything for this 30 goal #1C UFA guy….to which MTL better resign the day after we get him.

But it’s not January, so NYI isn’t even thinking trade right now…so I won’t waste my time talking bout it 😉

To save you a few seconds and a major eye roll, the teams are the Loafs, Tampa and Les Glorieux. The article quotes Larry Brooks, a writer from the NY Post (a paper that no self respecting fish would be wrapped in) and the teams are basically pulled out of his ass.
It does however go on to state that the Isles are no where near a deal on a new barn and are unlikely to be by the trade deadline. I’m sure JT is no longer interested in playing in that flipping baseball diamond or whatever it’s purported to be but at least he can play the “have no barn card” and not look quite so mercenary to either of the current fans. Two weeks prior to the trade deadline he partially removes his NTC and we pick him up rather cheaply. We pay a rental price trade wise and sew him up long term July 2nd while he’s still admiring the first of many Stanley Cup rings.
We have more cap space than the Loafs and Lightning combined, we buy Plecks a one way ticket to Kladno and we haven’t even broken a sweat.
Easy peasy…

I think NYI would be dumb to wait till trade deadline. TEams looking to stock up the can’t afford to give you key pcs of their roster at that time. I think they can get a lot more in Jan/Feb. But then again, GMs are dumb. He will wait and one guy will offer the world

We see the talent and want to give him a chance to do well, as he proved he could the year he scored 30 and then last season’s start. He has already proven he has NHL talent and when used with O players and given the TOI that he does perform.

So in trade talks with NYI, even if Chuck is now on the 4th line…GMS know the whole story, they know what Chuck has done the last 5 yrs in the NHL. They see the talent. He hasn’t been the same since his injury and isn’t in the coach’s good books. No one is trading for him wondering if he can be a good player or even an everyday player or maybe someday more then a 4th liner. They are trading for him because they know in a new enviroment that he will do well.

For those who make it sound like Chuck is worth a bad of pucks, GMs are not like fans, they think with their heads and not their hearts. They know what Chuck is. When motivated and playing with confidence he is the perfect winger for Tavares.

MTL won’t get some AHL kid who has shown he isn’t cut for the NHL yet. They will get a player of value. Nope not another 30g guy. But a solid dman and young player/or bottom 6 vet. That’s at min his value right now. And NYI totally wins the trade, unfortunately.

knowing MB its Chuck for DeHann and Beaulivier….future bottom 6 french kid.

Gerry….all I can say is….they hate the kid. They refuse to use him period, they don’t care. Actually they know if he were to start scoring alot that fans/media would turn on them for trading him.

This way when he gets a meh return, not super bad but not a Barzal for Chuck type move….then they can say, he was just lost here, we tried everything behind the scene, we gave him so much support, it just wasnt going to happen, this is whats best for the MTL Canadiens for him to move on, we wish him lots of success.

I posted about this in the last page, and Bellows would have to part of that trade to even it up. DeHaan is a long way from Nick Leddy.

as for Beauvilier, don’t be so quick to judge. He’s being healthy scratched in the middle of a too-much-youth movement, lowering his value, but I do think there’s more to him than what he accomplished last year.

The Isles brought him right out from junior, and he’s got more scoring ability in him than he’s able to show right now. It’ll be a development year for him again under sheltered conditions. He may end up being a winger in the NHL but he’s a goalscoring C until proven otherwise. He’s much better at scoring than Danualt.

His reaction…I don’t like it but I know I have to come in here and work hard.

I like that he said he didn’t like it. Imagine if Chuck said that here…he would have been escorted out the the dressing room never to be seen in a habs jersey again. Marner wasn’t questioning the move, or sulking. He was just honest. He doesn’t like it and will work hard.

Anyways, looks like the Leafs are now following MTL’s pattern to run a team?

Leafs have a ton of offence, and can afford to discipline a youngster. A few days ago, I posted that Bowman did the same to Larouche, and the Habs eventually moved him. But they didn’t miss him, they had lots of offence, like the Leafs now.

Habs don’t have a lot of offence. Does that mean they should roll over and let Chucky run wild? Of course not.

But maybe meeting in the middle isn’t such a horrible idea. Maybe give him some more ice time after he scores vs. the Leafs. Maybe a little more give and take, instead of rushing him down the same road as PK…

Are you also envious of the road the Leafs have taken to get to this point?

While it is true that the Leafs are in a better situation, player wise, at present. How different is your adoration of the present Leaf mgmt. if they ended up with the 3rd overall pick instead of #1?

Dubois or perhaps Puljujarvi instead of Matthews, how does that team look then?

It is all well and good to appreciate how talented the Leaf roster is, but it is very easy to overlook the good fortune in landing Matthews. In my opinion he is 1B to McDavid in young centers in the league. And is actually outplaying McDavid at present. Pains me to say it, but he is playing absolutely incredible hockey for the Leafs. He is the Leafs future, plain and simple.

Look at how different things went in Buffalo when they got Eichel instead of McDavid and how the Oilers rebuild suddenly started to work. Getting a first overall pick is the single greatest move by the Leafs.

you are over focused on the lottery. The leaf mgmt is superior to the habs in every way. ( sorry that seems harsh but true.) The leafs have ninja lou who pulled two rabbits out last season and maybe 3 this season. you have dubois, not only a london knight champ coach but the money ball of the org. then there is hunter the best and hardest working scout in the biz, he is known as first to the rink and last to leave. then babcock who is a hard a$# as far as coaches but we had the muskoka five complex that needed to be wrung out completely. and shanahan put it all together.
so the lottery win is always good but the ability a year and a half before to realize that a handful of untradeable contracts needed to be traded and were, is a testament that i doubt mtl, can or are willing to do if you have to.

I may have lived beside ken Dryden once but now I’m in the center of the hockey universe

MCD and MAtthews are generational talent. Add Crosby to the mix…that is 3 in the past 10 yrs. So that means that the 5 worse team each season during that time drafted 50 players and only 3 have the talent to turn around a team on the spot. Leafs/Edm are seen as the next best thing because of those 2 lucky winning pick. Without, they are still rebuilding.

It’s not the sure way..this tanking thing. Teams like Avs, Car, Ariz, Buff have been horrible for years too. they didn’t get that generational guy, they keep drafting high, and we don’t see much result.

Why are people so defensive regarding the Leafs ? They are the better team now and going forward probably are going to stay that way for a few years. They have Mathews that’s true but it is what it is and look one player doesn’t win much in a team sport although I hasten to add I wish we had Mathews instead of them. Now guess what Ottawa has a better team that us also and there is no Mathews on that team. It appears that there are several teams better than us with out a Mathews or McDavid. We are in a struggle for a bit I am inclined to think.
Oh yes another thing the Leafs also are much more entertaining than us also. This version of the team that once was so great is soft and I mean soft. Please take notice of this. They don’t hit at all and I know Gally and even Byron do play bigger than they are but really….this team is really soft. I sincerely hope I am wrong on this year’s bunch but it looks like a struggle to make the post season.

What everyone is defensive about is this thought now that all of a sudden the only way to build is winner is by sinking for 10 yrs and drafting high. Proven stats is that few teams have reached this truth and those who have it’s because they drafted a generational talent.

Our problem is that MB didn’t build properly on the core he inherited. HE didn’t need to tank, he needed better trades and signings.

yup….but at the same time MB should have this team at a better spot right now.

I don’t agree on tanking cause it’s not a sure thing and so few generational talent in a decade. But when MB came he had a decent young core….he should have been able to build better then he has. To many sideways deals and too many depth moves. Not enough Drouin for Sergachev deals.

I’d be happy if the Habs just shifted their focus from defence to offence.

I don’t have to prefer the tank and hope to draft the number one pick in a year he’s a phenom. This defence first focus will eventually land us in tank mode, whether that’s in one year or five.

And you’re absolutely right, Matthews is playing superb. The poise and confidence he shows is awesome. I believe Lord Stanley said he’d take Matthews over McJesus, and based on the year so far, I’m inclined to agree.

Right again, that luck is a big factor, that the Sabres getting Eichel number two hasn’t turned them around (yet).

But don’t bet against the Sabres having a comparable year to the Habs…we’re not as good as we hope we are, and they have unrealized potential.

Agree again. Chucky is definitely not inclined to stay, but to leave, and his attitude and play show it.

My beef is with who to blame for this? Most of the posters on the site are older, myself included, and want to hold Chucky accountable for himself. On an emotional level, I do too, as my previous posts railing about Chucky’s lack of effort attest to.

But all that’s happening is these type of players are being marginalized, traded for less, and our team’s poorer for it.

Does the alternative have to be we let the misfits run wild? Why can’t it be more of a meeting in the middle? Why couldn’t MB and whatever coach he had at the time find a way to co-exist with talent, get them excited to play for us, and put forward their best effort, warts and all?

I will say the one thing I do like about what the leafs seem to have done is with their drafting philosophy. I may be wrong but it seems to me that with their top pick the last few years….it doesn’t matter that there were some good D available and that D is a huge issue for them….but they CHOSE TO CHOOSE the most offensive player available. Obviously Matthews was a no brainer. But when they went with Marner and Nylander….they could have chosen to take a Dman even with just one of those picks. But no I believe Hunter was hard in fighting for Marner no matter his size…it’s the talent and you need offense.

So yes Gerry more goals would be nice. I have NEVER EVER liked picking a Dman in the top 10. Most of the best dmen were not taking there. Altho excited when we landed Sergachev cause a big drop after him left on the board. But if you are drafting, especially top 5, you should go with the most offensive kid there cause the odds of finding that offense anywhere else in the draft is not as good as getting a stud dman elsewhere in the draft.

Gerry, just don’t buy all the BS the media is throwing down hockey fans in Canada in regards to the LEafs. Not arguing that they aren’t better then the habs today, or that they seem to have a better immediate future….but we know it’s a long season, and we know that things get tight in the playoffs. That slashing and holding aren’t called as much. Playoffs are tough, and there is never any guarantee.

Where we are today….we should be better. Lets not forget we have finished 1st in recent years. But MB didn’t fix the holes.. Another top D and a top C…it’s been years, and still no fix. That’s the problem with MTL. And in 5 yrs, he should have found a solution.

They thought they had in Chuck, but they messed that all up with this bring him along slowly. He should have been at C from the start or in year 2. We can’t go back, but just some errors and too many sideway deals that don’t make us better.

I do like Drouin for Sergechv. But imagine if Chuck had worked out.. 35g/ 30g/ 60 assist top line! anyways, what ya gonna do. Can’t change the last few years but better moves need to be done now.

This Chuck/NYI trade has to be a good one for the habs. And it’s not about “winning a trade”. I don’t care if chuck scores 30 in NY, I care that what we got back was exactly what we needed and not another 3rd liner, or 2nd pair dman.

So, while it’s a tough mountain to climb without deliberately tanking, I understand and agree with posters that say tanking isn’t a guarantee of success.

So what I want is a new GM that actually looks like he’s willing to stockpile our team with young talent that can score. I want an owner that’s willing to trade $ for the long term success of our team. And I’d like some entertainment for my time and money. NOT outshooting teams from the periphery, but OUTSCORING teams from all over the ice.

Gerry I think if you reflect on MB’s philosophy a bit you will understand or remember he is defense first. So if you agree on that and most would all you have to do is note how he has watered the product down in this area. The team’s defense is a mess this year at least in the early going. They have to be the backbone along with CP if we are to win anything using the theory he seems to champion. This man was never the right person for the GM slot. He came with hype ( on here ) due to his working with the Blackhawks, a guilt by association if you will with a winning team. It remains difficult to imagine our once glorious team doing all that great this year. Hopefully MB will be shown the door after this season and the ownership looks and hires the best candidate for the position regardless if he or she is French.

I for one am finally losing interest in the sport of hockey. If this mega collection of simply bad teams is what we have to expect for the future of the game then I believe that it is time to opt out. Why endure what will be happening in Montreal for the next 4 or 5 years, a team that due to its dismal draft position and inability to attract free agents flounders in the mid range of the league and barely makes the playoffs.
This money grab has gone on long enough. Fans deserve to have teams that have a chance to actually succeed. Bush league as it is, at least in the CFL your team has a good chance of winning every year.
Take this overrated spectacle away, please.

Price isn’t going to be traded. Why? Nobody will take on Price’s salary. Not even the islanders at this point with their past experience with overpaid goalies. Nobody wants their goalie to be the highest paid player on their team accept us!

You are correct, he won`t be traded but has more to do with the fact that the team has made their commitment. It would not be hard to trade Price if they wanted to but you would likely only be getting another starting goalie, pick and prospect back.

Agree, the Sharks look flat to start the season, just like us. We have a great chance to right the ship tonight. Hopefully Galchenyuk on the 4th line only lasts a couple shifts, we need his offence in the top 6.

Huh, a look right into the mind of a coach. Babcock has placed Marner on the fourth line.

Their line wasn’t going. So, tie goes to the veteran. How’s that? [Marner] just happens to be the kid on the line, that’s it,” Babcock said.

and:

“When things go bad for you, it’s no one’s fault but your own. If you own everything you do, you’re in control of it,” Babcock said. “As soon as you play the blame game, or it’s something else, now you’re not in control of it anymore.”

Maybe Habs management should own the fact they’re not ready to be candid, and suffer the slings and arrows that will inevitably come their way.

Yup, Leafs are golden right now, it’s easier to be candid. But they weren’t always golden. At one point, Shanny had to stand up and say “we suck, we need to rebuild”, and Babcock had to say “there will be pain”.

It’s like the coach purposely put him in a position to fail. Marner is as good as gone. They are ruining him. Way to destroy a kid’s confidence. Babcock is hated everywhere in this league. No way will they ever win the Cup putting top talent on the 4th line. The GM and coach need to be fired.

(“Hockey Dads” in quotes to differentiate the meddlesome, abusive types that interfere with their kids at every level of the game including the pros. Not all hockey parents who make up the vast majority of parents who let their kids just enjoy the game and are happy with however far their kids go, just as long as the kids themselves are happy).

Ok not my biz but, scramble eggs can result in a runny mess. It’s fun to throw out trades and know mb has spent a load of time in the isle. But let’s just let the cake bake and if it flops like a squirmy nut eating shyte toad, then the noose tightens, heads roll.
Do you really want a guy like mb twisting in the wind making deals to try and save what might not need saving, one way or another.
Just my two cents.

I may have lived beside ken Dryden once but now I’m in the center of the hockey universe